The Hand Of A Friend
by Maukraui
Summary: Lanie had seen her friend go through this kind of thing once, and she'll be damned if she's gonna let her go through it again. Two/three-shot. Please review.
1. Obvious

_**Author's Note: This is a one-shot (perhaps two-shot) I couldn't get out of my head or my Ipod. It's not very imaginative, but still pretty cute. Lanie POV! Goes AU slightly before 2x24's ending.**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own this. This is brought to you by Maukraui-dumbass moron-productions. Thank you for your idiotic smile :)**_

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**Obvious**

" It was very emotional, and there were a lot of tears. Alexis was fine….by the way."

_Another joke, another laugh. He just never gets old, this guy. If only Kate wasn't so incredibly stubborn, she would see how good the man really was._

"I gotta say Castle, we're gonna miss you around here." Esposito says, obviously speaking for all of them, and none of them disagreeing with him.

"Yea I'm gonna miss you too."

_Damn the man is hurt! I might work with dead people all day but even I can see how hurt he is._

"You sure leaving the coffee machine though, right?" Ryan says breaking a short but uncomfortable silence.

"Can't have you suffer in my absence time." Castle answers with an obviously forced smile.

_He's obviously not far from crying. I have to say something quickly, or they'll notice I'm not here at all._

"Now we could really use one of those down in the morgue" _I hope somebody else says something quickly!_

"With Castle gone I just hope our clearance rate doesn't drop." Everybody cracked a smile and laughed.

_Thank you Captain!_

The going-away-party for Castle was well underway. Everybody was laughing and remember the times they'd had with Castle. Laughing, smiling, making jokes and innuendos. But there was only one thing on the mind of ME in the room. The ME acted like she was completely into the conversations the men were having, but her mind was with her best friend.

_My girl might be troubled and contradictory, but she should at least be here. Where the hell is she? Castle is leaving, obviously because he can't take it anymore. So she should at least be here!_

Lanie looked past Castle at the glass. Surprised, she saw someone in the weak but clear reflection.

_Kate, finally!_

Kate walked in with a smile she hadn't had in years. She picked up a beer and removed the top easily.

Castle's face changed strangely. He seemed a little happier, but also intimidated.

"Aaah look who's off duty?"

"Yea well Castle, I'm not all work"

_That voice! Could it be? Say something quickly!_

" Don't get into a drinking contest with her. She can take you!"

"Thank you."

_Good your playing along Castle! Let's see if this is what I think it is._

Lanie turned her head slightly to look at Kate.

"Oh, I don't need to drink to take him."

_That face…..that smile! YES, YES, YES! Thank you God, thank you!_

One look was enough for Lanie to know exactly what was going on.

"Oh, what's gotten into?"

_Go for it girl! You have a lot to gain here._

"Castle do you have a second?"

"Yea sure!"

_Please Castle, don't screw this up!_

Kate and Castle stepped outside of the break room and Kate closed the door.

_Not a very good idea if you want privacy, girl. Through this door we can hear anything._

"What's up?"

_Oh god! Please don't tell me he's not seeing it._

" Look I know I'm not the easiest person to get to know, and I don't always let on what's on my mind. But this past year working with you…..I've had a really good time."

"Yea me too."

_Oh God, this is going straight down hill. Well no matter just one last push Kate. Even he can understand English._

"So, I'm just gonna say this and….."

"Richard?" a female voice came through.

_Oh, no, no, no, no! Not now, not now!_

"You ready?"

"Hey, Gina. Uhm, Beckett you remember my ex-wife; Gina"

"And publisher" The woman said extending a hand.

The two women shacked hands.

"Yea, we spoke the other day. Looks like you finally tracked him down."

_This is bad, very bad. Okay, okay…..breath. This can be fixed. Just don't lose your cool girl!_

Everybody in the break room had been listening to the conversation outside without so much as a single breath. Now everybody got up, realizing just how bad this was.

"Oh yeah, he's just such a little boy sometimes." The woman said while rolling her eyes.

"I mean I don't know why. It's not like I bite….much"

_SLUT! BIMBO! WHORE! _ The curses flowed through Lanie's head faster than someone bleeding out of bullet hole.

"Well we'd better get going. Or were gonna be second traffic all night"

"Going."Kate was almost stuttering.

"To the Hamptons" Castle said looking up from his watch with a vengeful expression on his face.

_Bang! He just shot her in the heart. Oh why is this happening?_

"For the weekend?"

_Please let it just be for the weekend_

"No for the summer actually. So I can stay on top of him while he finishes his book.

_Goddamnit! Don't you just mean 'So I can stay on top of him'. You stinking ho._

"I'm sorry I didn't think the two of you got along"

"Uhm we didn't, but….then last night on the phone, we started talking…."

" And we ended up talking for hours."

" Yeah"

" Just like old times "

"Yeah"

_Ugh where can I go to throw up?_

Castle turned his head. "So, I'm sorry, you were telling me something."

"Yea I wanted to say; Have a great summer."

_No, girl don't bail now!_

"You, too."

_Castle you fucking, fucking fool! You idiotic moron!_

"And like you said, it's been really, really great."

"Yea it has"

Castle loosens himself from Gina's grip and extends a hand. Kate and Rick shake hands, he raises his hand in a last goodbye to the people in the break room. They return his raised hand, all in their own way.

_Why am I returning his goodbye hand?_

Castle turns around with his hand on the small of Gina's back, and walks towards the elevator.

"See you in the Fall?"

_You can literally smell the desperation in that voice, honey._

"See you in the fall." Castle states and turns around quickly again.

Lanie looks through the door at Castle, her eyes move to Kate. She was starring at the ground, and tears were forming, she could see it.

_Okay, I can't take this, it's not gonna end like this!_

Lanie's thought were decisive and quick. She reached for the doorknob with her

_**(a small) Cliffhanger? **_

_**(Very Pretty) Please review this and tell me your inner most thoughts :P**_


	2. Elevator Lock Up

**Author's Note: WOW all the reviews! Thanks you all!. Here the next chapter in this three-shot. It's a little shorter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it. This simply brought to you by **_**Maukraui-dumbass moron-productions. Thank you once again for smiling at my stupidity.**_

Lanie reached for the doorknob with her right hand, and stepped outside. Leaving the amazed guys in the break room.

Lanie stepped towards Kate and noticed single tear falling to the floor.

The tear could never make a sound hard enough, but an earthquake would be more silent then this tear falling on the precinct floor.

Lanie put her hand on her friends shoulder.

"It's not gonna end like this Kate."

"No leave it, he's made his choice." Kate said slightly under her breath

"The hell with his choice, the man is a fool. And fools make bad choices."

Castle was now in front of the elevator doors and was apparently waiting for it reach this floor.

"CASTLE! Get your arrogant dickhead over here. Lanie yelled.

The rest of the precinct fell quiet.

Castle turned his head, his face was filled with fear.

"What is it?"

_God can he be anymore foolish?_

Lanie let out a groan. Grabbing Kate's arm she dragged her towards the elevator.

Castle feared for his life.

When Lanie reached Castle and his publisher, she stopped.

"I'm sorry miss Publisher, but these two have some unfinished business. Would you mind leaving, I'm sure Castle will call you later." Lanie said addressing Gina first.

The elevator reached the floor and Gina, with a jealous look, wanted to step into it. Saying "Fine" before doing so.

"No, I'm sorry but the elevator is occupied."

Gina turned around. "By who? There's no one in it."

"I'm gonna need it. Sorry you'll have to take the stairs."

Lanie showed her the stairs entrance with her left index finger and Gina headed for it, making a face of mocking 5-year-old.

"Would someone mind filling me in?"

"Yea sure," Lanie said with fake happiness and a fake smile.

"Please….step into the elevator."

"Okay…?" Castle said questionably.

He stepped into it.

Lanie pushes a near lifeless Kate into the elevator.

"Okay we're in here. What now?" Castle asked.

"Now,…..hit the button for the ground floor.

"Alright."

Castle it the ground floor button and looked up at Lanie.

The door closed and the elevator went on its journey downwards.

But after 3 second the elevator stopped.

Lanie had pushed the emergency-stop button on her end.

"Hey what the hell?" Castle said surprised.

"What are you doing, Lanie?"

"I'm locking you two up for your own good. I've watched you two this past year and I'm sick of you two constantly ruining this. You two are a bunch of stupid lovefools and I'm not gonna let it end this way. Now, I'm not letting you two out of there until Kate says what she wanted to say. You both have a phone so you can call me when you're done."

Castle heard her and let out an annoyed groan. "Great suddenly I'm the bad guy here"

"Well what is it Kate."

"Kate? Hello…..? Earth to Kate" Kate remained motionless and dead quiet.

Kate was standing in an corner quietly with her hair covering her face. Making a very low and strange sound.

Castle moved towards her. Due to the low lighting in the elevator he had not noticed a small pool of water just in front of Kate's feet. He stepped into the pool and noticed it.

With, now a good idea what was going on he extended his hand to get her hair out of the way. He slowly moved her hair out of the way and looked at her face. Her head was on her chest and tears were falling from her eyes like rain.

"Kate what the hell is going on?"

"It doesn't matter, just go with your ex-wife and screw her all summer. I'll just deal with my misery here and without you."

"Where the shit is this coming from Kate?"

"I just wanna go as gracefully as possible and leave you in happiness, not misery."

"Well then you shouldn't leave with her."

"Why not, is she planning something I don't know about."

"No, she's not planning anything. I just don't want you leaving with _her._"

Still not getting the hints she was literally throwing at him. Kate started getting more and more annoyed at Castle's stupidity.

"Why not, and what's it to you by the way. You have your happy weekend with Tom and made it very clear you don't want to go. Meredith is lost somewhere in Bollywood. So that leaves me with Gina. She'll keep pushing me to finish the book I really have to finish."

"How can you still not get it, you MORON?" Kate's voice was full of emotion and distress.

"My weekend with Demming is off the table."

"Why, a wrong reservation or does he not want you to come?"

She punched him on the shoulder.

"Ow, what was that for?"

"It's off the table because I broke up with him."

She could see Castle's brain working in full speed now.

"He's not what I'm looking for."

"Would you mind pinching me, because I do not believe what I'm hearing."

Smiling, she pinched him.

"Ow! Okay now that I know I'm not dreaming, let me ask you this again." Castle said rubbing the place she pinched him.

"Would like to come to my Hamptons beach mansion this weekend."

"I would love to Rick." Kate said using his first name for the first time.

"Yes! But I have to know two things though."

"Okay shoot."

First; Why now so suddenly?"

"Well I realized I have to stop fighting what I feel, and finally listen to what my heart says."

"Okay. Second then; Do you have your gun."

"No, why?"

"Because I'm tempted to _let _you shoot me after what I almost did ten minutes ago."

They both cracked a smile.

**Great! They're together.**

**Now, I'm gonna write a finishing chapter. And call it done.**

**Thanks for all the reviews.**


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